Tucked back in the trees, our school is a vibrant learning community for diverse learners. It is a small low-income school located in southwest Seattle. With roughly 64% of students receiving free or reduced lunch, our school is classified as Title I. Unfortunately, as a low income community, our school has been historically underserved. However, Seattle Public Schools are making a concerted effort to close opportunity gaps and provide students with the resources and creative opportunities that they need to succeed.
This year, students at our elementary school are receiving general music instruction for the first time.
Such an experience can open up a whole world to young learners. Students are being given “the tools to express themselves and their ideas, and creative outlets to share their viewpoints with the world.”
And our students have unique perspectives. According to a recent analysis done by the Seattle Times, our school is the most ethnically diverse in Washington state. Our students bring a myriad of unique perspectives that inspire me to be a better educator.
My Project
Organization is essential for students to be successful. These storage cabinets will help my students to retrieve their instruments faster and make clean up time more efficient, allowing them to spend more of their class time making music. Currently, instruments are stored on the other side of the school in the back of a storage closet.
While we are fortunate to have a wonderful collection of instruments for music class, students are unable to access them.
Instruments can only be brought out a few at a time, with teams of students volunteering recess time to carry them over in time for class.
We need at least three tall storage cabinets with adjustable shelves to store instruments in our music space. This will help us to have easy access to our 10 large tubano drums for our West African drumming unit. Cabinets will allow us to keep our 9 Orff xylophones nearby for improvisation and composition pieces. This storage will hold the scarves, shakers, rhythm sticks and triangles that we use in our creative kindergarten classes. Students will learn to responsibly care for instruments and organize them according to instrument family.
More than three‑quarters of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mx. Staire and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
